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| The day started with a cuppa with a sea view; an Irish Sea view. Then it was time for a beach, it was 7-30am. The tide was high. The sky was clear. The sun was out. It felt like summer. It smelt like summer. Beach Buoy really needed this break. From the beach some figures could already be seen making their way up St. Bees Head. After a short walk it was breakfast, then the shower block. Back at the van it was time to transform bedroom mode into see a new beach mode. The van was pitched right up to St.Bees Head. As Beach Buoy altered the van he could hear a steady crunch of gravel as the train of people made their way up the Head. Some with backpacks, some with handbags and some with no bags at all. Beach Buoy wondered just how busy it becomes during the school holidays? |
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| 10-38am. Allonby Beach, Cumbria. Another new beach for Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog to have a mooch about on. The tide was a canny way out on the long curved beach. The beach was edged with dunes. The sun was out and it was a warm day. There was a pleasant breeze from the North. To the South there seemed to be a metal detectorist's convention up on a distant strand line, as a stretch of people walked the strand line's length. It turns out that they were litter picking; the long picking claws looking like metal detectors from a distance. |
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| Out at sea, familiar looking wind turbines stood proud in front of an unfamiliar view of Scotland. Beach Buoy had parked up at the south end of the village. The car park was in front of a line of bungalows; seaside bungalows. Beach Buoy walked North on the beach, the village seemed to become more densely populated as he continued? The beach was a vast expanse. Beach Buoy had been very lucky with the tide on this adventure. The tides had been peaking early morning, leaving exposed beaches to be explored more and more as the day progressed. |
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| Beach Buoy got into the spirit of things a little and picked up a few beach clean items from the various strand lines of the past that ran around the bay. Each marked as it was by a fine line of brown seaweed drying in the sun's heat. Beach Buoy headed for the dunes and the village beyond. Large chunks of driftwood laid stranded up in the dunes. Presumably they had ended up there in a stormy or winter sea? They laid, baking in the sun dreaming of a rough sea to let them sail the oceans. |
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| From the dunes the houses looked a variety of styles, age and type. Beyond the dunes there was a promenade. It was basically a tarmac path the followed the dune's curve or vice versa. After the prom there was grass and then a waterway that was crossed by a number of small footbridges. Beach Buoy had a sit and think on a bench dedicated to Ken & Monica Shuttleworth as Stubborn Dog found shade in the shadow of the bench. As he sat there he watched as small butterflies fluttered on the dune edge. A couple walked by, hand in hand. "Looks like it was a chapel or something?stated the man. Beach Buoy thought that everything is something surely? If not, it can be nothing, but surely even nothing is something? The lady tried to clear things up by saying that it was, "A funny old building." That was it case closed ! As Beach Buoy unwound a little more on the bench he watched as bees bumbled from dandelion to dandelion. The peace was broken somewhat by a large red tractor as it rumbled down the high street towing what looked like a large rusting shed on wheels. Stubborn Dog wasn't impressed and if anything looked bored? Beach Buoy washed his face in sunlight with both of his hands and stood up. |
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| They crossed one of the numerous foot bridges and explored. |
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| Beach Buoy's attention was drawn to three racing cyclists who were about to whizz past whilst talking loudly? Perhaps it was the Allonby Constabulary in disguise in hot pursuit of the rusting shed on wheels thief? |
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| Beach Buoy made his way to the GENTS. Check list WC.. one. ( It had an old wooden door and on the inside was written STUPID BREXIT CANTS ).. Beach Buoy may have got a letter or two wrong? Urinal.. one. Sink.. one. Tap.. one. Towels/ hand dryer ....... none. He walked out doing the flappy hand thing to dry his hands a little he looked up to see on the ceiling a phone number for SWAP WIFE PIX. Thats men's toilets for you wherever you may be... |
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| Beach Buoy made his way back to the van so that he could do a proper job of a hand wash. |
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| As he headed back he admired the differing houses that lined either side of the long narrow looking village. Two local ladies had lunch on the grass between two parked cars. Their choice of music was Adele's "Rolling in the deep." quite an apt song considering the seaside surroundings. Beach Buoy passed a Chip Shop. THE CODFATHER. He walked onwards to the van, washed his hands and returned to order lunch. He sat in the van made a brew and looked out over to Scotland as he ate, drank and relaxed ... again. Once refreshed he headed for base camp. Allonby was an interesting place. Beach Buoy liked Allonby. |
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| Later that day it was back on St. Bees Head Beach for an early evening stroll. The beach was busy and the tide was so low.... |
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| The beach went on and on and on .... BEACH BUOY. |
